Two green smoothies

Prep time 2 minutes	Blending time 3 minutes
Serves 3 (1st)	Only 40 kcal/portion
Serves 3 (2st)	Only 20 kcal/portion

When I was in Demark last month, my nephew introduced me to this morning drink.
The two smoothies I tried weren’t that brilliant; but because I needed to lose some weight, after my trip to Denmark, I decided to try my hand in making smoothies.

• 1st Green Smoothie
• 250 ml cold green tea
• ½ lemon, peeled, de-stoned and quartered
• 4 slices of ginger
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 frozen spinach balls
• 1 large frozen broccoli floret
• 5 spring onions, cleaned
• 1 tomato
• 1 handful frozen peas
• 1 handful frozen mango/pineapple
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp of salt, pepper and soy sauce

• 2nd Green Smoothie
• 250 ml cold green tea
• ½ lemon, either juice of or roughly peeled and quartered
• 4-6 slices of fresh ginger
• 1 large garlic clove
• 2 frozen spinach balls
• 1 large frozen broccoli floret
• 1 handful frozen chopped onions
• 1 cooked Pak Choi, cut into smaller pieces
• 50 g steamed fresh beans, cut into 1in lengths
• 2 large radishes, tailed & topped, and quartered
• 1 handful basil leaves & stems
• ½ tsp of salt, pepper, soy sauce and sweet chilli sauce.

1. Place all ingredients in the blender.
2. Blend for 2-3 minutes until smooth and no more ice lumps
3. Taste, and maybe add some more flavours.
4. Split evenly between 3 shaker beakers, keep in fridge for max 2 days.
   Shake well before usage.
5. Serve and enjoy you drink.

Enjoy!

 

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Beetroot Salad

• • 4-6 cooked beetroots, roughly grated
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • ½ clove of Garlic – crushed (optional)
  • French salad dressing:
    • 3 tbsp Oil (sunflower/olive/ whatever you like)
    • 1 tbsp wine vinegar
    • ½ tsp continental mustard
    • salt & pepper
    • if too strong add a little water.
  1. Mix the dressing, add the onions and leave in soak for a little while.
  2. Finally mix in the grated beetroot.
  3. Place in fridge until serving.

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Carrot Salad

• 1 Lemon, squeezed
• The same amount as the juice of boiling water
• 1-2 tsp runny honey
• Raisins * – as many as can be covered by the liquid
• Chopped Nuts *
• 5-6 medium sized grated carrots
• * Can be omitted!

1. Mix the boiling water and honey until all the honey has dissolved
2. Add the lemon juice and the raisins.
3. Leave to infuse for ½ hour.
4. Then add and mix in the grated carrots.
5. Cover with a plate, small enough the cover the carrots and must fit inside the bowl
6. Put a heavy item (a jar, a litter bottle of water …) on top of the plate to press the salad.
7. Leave under press for ½ -1 hour at room temperature.
8. Remove the heavy item and place the salad-bowl in fridge.
9. This can keep for 2-3 days.

Luncheon Salad

• 1 Hardboiled egg, sliced
• 3-4 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 10 slices cucumber
• 1 handful green salad
• 2-3 tbsp Carrot salad
• 2-3 tbsp Beetroot salad
• 2-3 tbsp Raw Courgette Salad

Served with pita bread or Ryvita and
maybe add a slice or two of ham or smoked salmon.

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Easy Rösti with Tuna Steak and steamed Broccoli

Prep time 2 minutes	Cooking time 15 minutes
Serves 1	Calories 420 in total

I have a Chinese supermarket nearby and I like their frozen tuna steaks (just under £10 for 5 individually sealed steaks). The rösti couldn’t be much easier to make than this, all it requires is a grater or a food processor that can do the coarse grating for you. Why steamed broccoli? Because of the latest findings in vegetable cooking this is the healthiest way of cooking vegetables. The vitamins stay where they are (doesn’t get cooked away into the water) and the flavour and colour are also so much nicer. The salting of steamed vegetables is a little tricky, I use one of two ways to do this. The first: while cleaning the veg add salt to the last rinse and leave vegs in soak for a couple of minutes. The second: in the steamer add double salt to the water below the veg and the steam will then become salty.

• 1 Tuna Steak
• 200g grated potatoes (one large potato)
• Onion and garlic salt
• 4-6 broccoli flowers
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 1-2 tbsp Rapeseed oil
• 10g butter

1. Coarsely grate a washed potato (no need for peeling), place the grated potato in one bowl of boiling hot water, leave to rest for a minute or so, then drain it, but leave it in the strainer.
2. Wash the broccoli flowers and place in a steamer. Dissolve the salt in the steamer water (button bowl), place the steamer in a microwave and cook on full heat for max 3 minutes.
3. In the meantime – I like using a wok, because I can control the heat and I don’t need too much frying oil – heat a wok/frying-pan – when hot add 1 tbsp oil and 10g butter, when this has amalgamated – add the grated potato. Flatten into a pancake, and sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion salt and or garlic salt. Fry for 5 minutes each side. Leave lid on.
4. While the rösti is frying – heat a griddle pan (or just a frying pan) – dry the tuna steak on some kitchen towel – when the pan is smoking hot place the tuna stake on it. Seal both sides before seasoning (salt, pepper and maybe some garlic salt) and if using a frying pan – add a little oil – lower the heat. Fry for max 2 minutes each side.
5. Remove the lid from the rösti and turn heat up to make the sides crispy, max one minute each side.

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Chicken Lasagna without pasta

Prep time max 10 minutes	Cooking time 20-25 minutes
Serves 2-3	Calories 755 in total

• 150g cooked skinless chicken, cut or torn into bite size pieces
• 100g grated cheese, lactose free
• 1-2 courgette thinly sliced slightly on an angle to be used instead of lasagna
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1 tin of peeled tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and black pepper.
• A prise of mixed herbs, thyme.
• Sweet Spanish paprika Grated nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 200° C.
2. In the meantime, use a food processor to chop the onions, garlic and tomatoes.
3. Spread the chicken pieces in a large lasagna dish.
4. Spread the tomato mix over the chicken pieces.
5. Cover the dish with a layer of sliced courgettes.
6. Finish with a layer of grated cheese
7. Dust with paprika and a touch of nutmeg
8. Place in oven and cook for 20 to 25 minutes at 200°C.

Super healthy dinner for one

Calories: 380 cooking and prep time max 15 minutes

For the stir-fry:

• 100g cooked chicken, diced roughly.
• ½ medium sized onion, chopped
• ½ courgette, julienned
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 3 cherry tomatoes, halved and quartered
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 5g butter
• Salt, pepper and herbs to taste.

For the rösti:

• 1 medium potato, grated and washed (after grating)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 5g butter
• Salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion salt.

Start the stir-fry:

1. Melt the butter and oil in a wok.
2. Add the onions, garlic, tomatoes and herbs; let simmer for 2 minutes stirring now and again.
3. Lower the heat and add courgettes and chicken, stir it, cover with lid and leave simmering for 5 minutes.

In the meantime, make the rösti.

1. Rinse the grated potato in cold water, squeeze as much water from the rinsed potato.
2. Heat the oil and butter on a separate frying pan.
3. Shape the potato on the pan like a pancake. Use a spatula to press and shape the rösti.
4. Sprinkle the potato pancake (one side only) with the herbs.
5. Fry on medium heat for 5 minutes on both sides.

Quick Healthy Lunch

Serves 1

Time from start till finish: 5 minutes

I was hungry and didn’t have any bread for a sandwich.
So, a rummaged in my fridge and freezer
and this was the result of my finds.

Ingredients:

½ Onion, chopped finely

1 Tomato, chopped not too finely

100g lardons

100g leftover chicken, cut into cubes

100g frozen mixed vegetables.

1 tsp olive oil

15-30g butter

Salt, pepper and whatever other herbs you want or none.

Method:

1. Heat the butter and the oil in wok (or frying pan).
2. Add the onions and lardons, and fry until the onions are translucent.
3. Then add the frozen vegetables, stir, cover and leave for 1-2 minutes.
4. While the vegetables thaw and cook, chop the tomato and chicken meat.
5. Then add this to the wok, stir and add your herbs.
6. Cover and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve and enjoy.

Courgette and Pecorino Fritters.

Serves 3-4       preparation time 15 minutes       baking time 20-22 minutes
Turn your bumper courgette crop into satisfying snacks, delicious hot and/or cold.

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• 250g courgette; shredded
• 1 large egg
• 70-100g grated pecorino (an Italian cheese made from ewes’ milk)
• 100g Panko (or 80g polenta for gluten free)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed with press)
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil, for greasing the baking sheet

1. Toss courgette and salt together in a large colander and place in sink to drain for 10 minutes. Then Squeeze to drain even further.
2. Mix pecorino, panko, crushed garlic, the egg and pepper in a large bowl; and stir in the drained shredded courgette.
3. Scoop a table spoon of ‘dough’ and drop onto a large greased baking sheet, roughly shaping each into a log.
4. Bake in a 200°C oven for 20-22 minutes, turning halfway through.

• Dipping Sauce:
  • Stir chopped chives and basil into sour cream.

Spinach Omelette with Fried (Finger) Soldiers

I really fancied something substantial that didn’t take hours to make. I happen to have some spinach and a little pack of pancetta. So here is a delicious spinach omelette with onions, pancetta and fried soldiers.

Preparation and cooking time 5-10 minutes

Step 1: Fry the pancetta and onion; when blanched add the spinach, lower the heat and leave until the spinach is wilted.

Step2: Mix 1-2 eggs with a little water (half an eggshell of water), salt, pepper and whatever flavour you want. Pour this mixture over the fried onions, pancetta & spinach. Cover with lid and fry on low heat for another minute

Step3: While Step2 is finishing, heat another frying pan, butter the bread and place buttered side down in the frying pan, when the first side is nearly done (approx. 1 minute) butter the other side and turn the bread over.

Step4: Cut the fried bread into finger soldiers and serve with the omelette.